The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan 579: The Strategy That Made NYX a Household Name | Toni Ko (Best of Foundr)
Aug 15, 2025
Toni Ko, founder of NYX Cosmetics, scaled her beauty brand from a $250,000 investment to a $500M exit to L’Oréal. She shares how she achieved $4 million in retail sales in just the first year and disrupted the industry with smart, affordable packaging. Toni discusses avoiding debt and the emotional toll of selling her 'baby', facing post-exit depression. She also reflects on lessons learned from a failed business and reveals her blueprint for launching influencer-led brands under Bespoke Beauty Brands.
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Packaging + Price Drove Initial Breakthrough
- Toni Ko launched NYX with 18 SKUs (lip and eye pencils) and sold close to two million pieces in year one.
- She paired department-store style packaging with mass-market pricing which made products
From Solo Founder To Million-Dollar Year
- Toni Ko ran NYX as a one-woman company initially, doing everything from lifting 38-pound boxes to customer service.
- She called those early years the best years despite hard work and low overhead.
Double Down On Strengths, Outsource Weaknesses
- Know your strengths and hire for weaknesses once you can afford it.
- Toni Ko credits product design and marketing as her strengths and intentionally avoided roles she wasn't good at.